Climate Countdown

Environmental as anything!

By Action Desk Producer Jennifer Bartram

There
are plenty of things you can do in your home to conserve energy and
help the environment, but why not think about getting out and about to
do your bit?

We
all know that saving energy in the home and using our bikes instead of
taking the car will help to conserve and improve the environment around
us. But by volunteering with an environmental charity or organisation,
you could be learning new skills and meeting new people as well as
doing your bit to save the planet.

Volunteering

Tree
planting is one activity which helps to make a positive impact on the
environment and improve the quality of air around us. Organisations
such as Northumberland Wildlife Trust hold tree planting events and
other activities, such as peat bog restoration.

Volunteers are
welcome to go down and take part in activities such as this, and in a
few years time you could go back and revisit the tree which you planted
as part of a brand new forest.

If you feel you're more geared
towards wildlife, you could help out at Scotswood Natural Community
Garden, which is right in the heart of Newcastle, just off Whickham
View.

Volunteers come and get involved in gardening and wildlife
conservation, which includes helping with pond dipping activities in
the Lily Pond and willow weaving.

There are all sorts of other
activities you can get involved in that can help the environment, from
exercising in a green gym to children's art projects centred around
recycling.

Find out more

For an information pack about
eco-friendly volunteering opportunities, or for advice on how you can
save energy around the home, contact the CSV Action Desk.

E-mail: actiondesk.newcastle@bbc.co.uk

Telephone: (0191) 221 2815

Local backing for carbon progress

The carbon capture plan at Longannet would be the first in the UK

Source: BBC

Fife will be a "power-house" for modern energy generation if carbon capture plans go ahead, it has been claimed.

West Fife councillor William Walker has welcomed early
indications from the UK Government that the Longannet power station
proposal will proceed.

It would make it the first plant in the country to capture carbon emissions, storing them beneath the Forth estuary.

Scottish Power has been carrying out research into the plan, which would reduce the company's carbon footprint.

Mr Walker said: "This all fits in well with
Scottish Power's quest to become the cleanest possible generator of
electricity using coal.

"The company is already spending some £170m on flue gas
desulphurisation which is another step towards the cleanest possible
operation.

"Longannet has come a long way since being labelled 'the dirty man of Europe' just a few years ago."

The Scottish Government is also discussing plans to re-start deep-mining of coal in west Fife.

First Minister Alex Salmond gave his backing to a new 45MW
biomass power station near Markinch which would supply energy to a
paper mill and to the national grid.

Mr Walker added: "Everything is beginning to fall into place
for long-term energy generation in Fife under the best environmental
and economic conditions.

"With a methane gas survey and extraction project also due to
start soon in the area, west Fife is now well on track to become a
power-house of modern energy conversion with all that means for local,
quality employment and sustainable development into the future."

Power station may extract methane

Methane extraction is one of a series of changes being considered

Source: BBC

Scottish Power has said it wants to begin extracting methane from beneath one of its coal-fired power stations.

The company has applied for planning permission for the pilot project at Longannet power station, in Kincardine.

The plan would be to deposit carbon dioxide in a coal
seam. The methane would then be pushed out, collected and burned for
power.

It has been hailed as the first project of its kind in the UK. A similar, smaller scheme was tested in Australia.

Several schemes have been planned by Scottish Power, which needs to substantially reduce its carbon emissions.

We have to reduce emissions because it is causing climate change

Scottish Power spokesman

Longannet, which generates about 40% of Scotland's electricity, is also the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions.

The plant would only be able to generate a small amount
of electricity, but would enable Scottish Power to reduce emissions at
the site by burying carbon.

A company spokesman said: "We have to reduce emissions
because it is causing climate change. But we need coal because it is
flexible.

Saline aquifer

"We can turn it on and off quickly in response to demand.

"We would push carbon into the coal seam directly. It would then displace the methane, we could collect it and then burn it.

The deep mine where the methane would come from flooded in 2004. Since then the coal has become inaccessible.

The proposals still have to be approved by planners at Fife Council.

Scottish Power has confirmed that it would receive £2.3m from the UK Government to research carbon capture schemes.

The company will work with Edinburgh University to look for sites where carbon can be stored underground.

A saline aquifer below the seabed of the Firth of Forth has already been identified as a location.

Free Energy From Wind Generators

By Darren Chow

Most people would certainly say yes to free energy. There are many
natural sources of free energy if you just explore the possibilities
the surroundings can give to you. One of the best examples of energy
producer that you can utilize is the wind. With the use of a device
known as wind generators, you can easily convert the kinetic energy
from the wind to usable electric energy. What is best for this energy
resource is that it is safe, clean and more importantly renewable.

Several
manufacturers specialize in building these innovative wind generators.
These commercialized products are engineered to provide electricity
sufficient to power up the whole household. Manufacturers of these wind
turbines use high quality products to ensure that the device would last
for a long time. Although these energy-producing devices are durable
and very efficient when it comes to providing alternative source of
energy, these may rather be costly for the income of common households.
Many homes that need to have alternative solutions in lowering their
electric bills cannot afford this expensive device.

The
awareness in the need for renewable sources of energy has led to the
development of innovative solutions to provide affordable home energy
systems. Many people are practicing building a wind generator for home
use nowadays. Because of the availability of instructional materials
about the construction of these wind generators, homeowners can easily
create their own cost-efficient energy resources. You can find helpful
manuals and e-books about do-it-yourself wind turbines. Most of the
materials to be used on these improvised devices usually come cheap on
hardware outlets and scrap equipments on your garage.

Since
homemade wind generators use cheap and recycled materials, there is a
high possibility that the output would be substandard. To ensure that
your energy-producing equipment has the efficiency as the commercial
prototypes, the need of a quality blueprint for your device is
important. Even though it may not be as strong as the commercial one,
you will be ensured that you would get the electricity that you need to
power up your home.

The use of wind energy has been gaining
popularity nowadays. As a renewable energy resource, most people within
the windy areas took great advantage of using wind generators on their
homes. The homes within some communities all use such energy devices
for a profitable cause. The excess energy produced by the wind
generators are sold back to the utility suppliers thus these devices
not just saves you money but also gain profits as well.

If your
home is luckily situated on a windy location, you should take advantage
of the opportunity of using the wind for your home energy needs. Aside
from the financial benefits it can bring, you also have the chance to
participate in the campaign for a cleaner environment.